Lawmakers from Northern Kenya have alleged discrimination and neglect by the national government in addressing the impact of the El Niño rains.
The legislators said allocation of emergency resources to alleviate the effects of the El Niño rains appears to be unfair.
They claimed overwhelming two-thirds of the region is submerged, with Wajir County bearing the brunt of the devastation.
The MPs led by Eldas MP Adan Keynan said the expected help from the national government is neither clear nor well thought-out.
“We want the national government to come out properly and assist the residents of our counties. What is being coordinated and what we have been told is being coordinated cannot be seen at all,” Keynan said.
The MPs spoke while addressing a press conference at Wilson Airport on Tuesday during the flagging off of 24 tonnes of relief food consignment and drugs to six subcounties in Wajir County.
Official government data shows that the death toll as a result of the heavy rains now stands at 61 countrywide, while 235 people have been reported injured and a further eight are listed as missing.
Wajir Senator Mohamed Abass Sheikh lamented that the national government is yet to announce interventions to assist those marooned by the floods.
““Sometimes we ask ourselves whether we're part of this country or third class citizens. For instance, the floods in Mombasa City started the other day and you have the Deputy President and his team already at the Coast assisting the County Government of Mombasa through various interventions. What about Northern Kenya, is it not part of this country?” Abass posed.
Wajir West MP Yusuf Mohamed Farah said the magnitude of the problem and the response by the national government do not match even as he called for more concerted effort.
Farah said officials from the national government should take their responsibilities seriously to avert catastrophy.
“As Parliament, we have appropriated money to deal with these emergencies especially in the Northern Kenya in Garissa, Wajir and Mandera, but we seeing nothing on the ground as our people continue to perish,” Farah said.
He added that a road leading to Northern parts of the country has been washed away by ravaging floods at Modogashe blocking any humanitarian assistance heading to Wajir and Mandera.
Tarbaj MP Hussein Bare said those in the national government charged with the responsibilities were sleeping on their job and left the tasks to the Kenya Red Cross Society and counties.
